From Chapter to Title

In 1994, Congress reauthorized what had been known as Chapter 1. Now
called Title I, the new law retains some of the vestiges of Chapter 1,
but makes it easier for schools to pool their resources and address the
needs of the entire student population rather than isolated
students.

Chapter 1 (1965-94)

Relied heavily on pullout programs in which students left their
regular classrooms to work in small groups with a teacher or aide
whose salary was paid by the federal program.

Allowed only those schools with an impoverished student body of
75 percent or more to become schoolwide programs, enabling them to
pool Chapter 1 money with other resources to create a plan to improve
instruction for all children.

Focused on remedial instruction, mostly in reading and
mathematics.

Used standardized tests to assess the progress of children in the
program.

Title I (1994-present)

Expands eligibility for schoolwide programs to all schools with
poverty rates of more than 50 percent.

Forces a state to write reading and math standards for the Title
I program that are equal to standards for all students in the state.
Standards for other subjects are optional.

Requires a state to write assessments that use "multiple
up-to-date measures'' of students' progress toward meeting the goals
set in the state's standards.

Obligates schools to write a school-parent compact explaining how
both sides will work together to improve student achievement. School
districts that receive $500,000 or more from the program must spend 1
percent of their grants on parent involvement.